[Diagnosis of vertebral diseases by vertebral biopsy]

Vertebral biopsies were performed in 28 patients, 17 males and 11 females, because of vertebral body and disc changes between June 1978 and May 1982. In two patients biopsy was performed in two segments. Punctures were done in local and superficial anaesthesia of the vertebral body periosteum during continuous fluoroscopy control using Jamshidi's instrumentation. Aspiration and tissue cylinders were evaluated histologically and bacteriologically. There were no complications among the 8 thoracic and 22 lumbar biopsies. A histologic diagnosis could be established in 22 cases (78.6%): plasmocytoma (n = 2), spontaneous deformation of the spine in osteoporosis (n = 3), Scheuermann's disease (n = 1), specific (n = 2) and nonspecific (n = 14) spondylitis. Demonstration of bacteria was possible in 5 out of the 16 cases of spondylitis (31.25%): in two cases tubercle bacilli were demonstrated and once each salmonella group B, Haemophilus aphrophilus and coagulase-negative staphylococci. Only in 6 cases a diagnosis could not be established from the biopsy material.